What does hustle look like in August during a pandemic?
Perspectives on Hustle and Momentum in Changing Times
August is usually a month where many slow down. But I’ve also been thinking back to the constant hustle culture and content many of us constantly shared.
While it wasn’t all great, there was some powerful energy and momentum I haven’t yet seen return.
Hustle is maximizing the energy that you’re putting in to something. Making every minute count.
This doesn’t come naturally for most people. And there is also a lot of talk about toxic hustle culture.
But some people simply wouldn’t be happy any other way. Self-awareness is key to know what works for you.
A few years ago, Gary Vaynerchuk went on a rant about August being the month that can be make or break. He explained that in his twenties, when he was single, August felt like the perfect month to take advantage of the time when people were sleeping. “Everyone is on vacation in August which means if I doubled down and tripled down on my hustle I would be ahead of the competition who were usually taking a break.” Now as his kids get older, he says that it also seems like the perfect month to go all-in on family because so many other people are also checked out.
Of course, this year is slightly different.
What does hustle look like for you, now?
Several months into the pandemic, as August began, I asked my network what hustle looks like to them. There were some great responses from various perspectives, and I’ve shared a few here.
“To me hustle is making moves in the direction you want to go. I made a decision and set some goals about my professional development three weeks ago and today I crossed off three action items I noted down to move me in the right direction. Today commitment and decisiveness about future action was my hustle. I’m sprinting not walking in the direction I want to go right now. I can’t always go at this pace but it’s the right pace for this stage.”
The above is from a non-profit leader. I really resonate with the last point about not being able t hustle this hard all the time, but that it can totally be the right fit for a certain period of time. When everything is aligned, sprint!
“For me, COVID19 taught me that every aspect of your life could use a little hustle. Hustle in work. Hustle in health. Hustle in hobbies/passions. I definitely don’t think hustle is a negative thing but I do think I’ve reframed the way I look at it.”
You can hustle in various areas of your life, not exclusively in work. An interesting perspective on the areas in life we focus our energy.
“I always like to think of hustle like dating. You put yourself out there over and over again, and if you get rejected, that’s their loss. You’ll always know you put your foot forward, so you won’t live with regret. After all, you can only control the energy you put out into the world! I love throwing energy and ideas out there, because when you find that alignment you know that magic can happen!”
The above comment is one of the reasons I hustle — not wanting to look back feeling like time and potential was wasted.
“Hustle for me looks like 6 days on and 1 day off. With phase 3 rolled out businesses have been getting back into full momentum in the finance world and now micro events it’ll be a busy summer. The hope is that there is no 2nd wave.”
This last one is also representative of the times, as the world was on pause for some time due to the pandemic (and still is in some areas/industries).
Momentum is huge in entrepreneurship and isn’t always easy to come by during such changing times. My hope is that we continue to find our stride and generate some momentum into the new normal.
Most importantly, remember there is no pressure to work at any other level than you are comfortable with. Your mental health and wellness are number one!
